White Bear Lake education

Whether you’re an artist, engineer, or just interested in cool gadgets, now you can tinker with 3D printers, vinyl cutters and the ShopBot—a machine that can cut, carve or drill metal or wood-- at Mahtomedi High School’s FABLab. Opened in 2011, the fabrication laboratory is the place for students and community members alike to use high- tech equipment to create their technological brainchild.
 
For more information about FABLab, contact Mary George. Read more about Mahtomedi High School's FABLab

Your child’s private school education is a valuable investment, but with many private school options in the area, it can be a tad overwhelming on which one to choose. So we’ve done the groundwork and put together a quick guide on some of the local schools to consider. Feel free to contact them directly to schedule a tour and learn about their open-house events.

St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School Read more about Discover Private School Education Options in White Bear Lake

Virginia Mancini knew she wanted to be an English teacher by her senior year in high school, and that passion for teaching has only grown since. The 12th-grade advanced placement (AP) language and composition teacher has been named Mahtomedi Teacher of the Year, and she can’t think of a greater honor. “It’s very humbling,” Mancini says. “I represent such a great group of people and fantastic teachers.”
    Read more about Mahtomedi's Virginia Mancini Receives Teaching Award

During a presentation on special-education students at Birch Lake Elementary School, one little second- or third-grade girl approached presenter and special education advocate Leslie Sieleni with a question.
     Read more about White Bear Lake Promotes P.A.L.-ling Around

The results are in, and according to U.S. News and World Report, Mahtomedi High School is the No. 1 high school in Minnesota for 2013. The rankings were based on the percentage of students that take AP courses and tests, as well as how the students scored on those tests; other factors included the graduation rate and the student-to-teacher ratio. Principal Kathe Nickleby says that the ranking is prompting a lot of interest from colleges in Mahtomedi students, and the honor “gives our students the recognition that they deserve.” Read more about Mahtomedi High School ranked No. 1 in state.

Sometimes the real world is the best classroom. Business and technology education instructor Tim McGraw has introduced his students to innovative, hands-on experiences in fundraising, microfinance and real-world economics. McGraw’s pioneering approach to economics education has enlightened learners, benefited local and global small businesses, and drawn recognition from the nonprofit education initiative izzit.org. Read more about WBLALC students learn finance by lending money to third-world entrepreneurs

Math can be challenging for many of us. But the Mathnasium learning center in White Bear Lake is helping kids see math in a whole new way. This after-school learning center helps kids in first grade through high school boost their math skills through games and puzzles that help foster critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills. Read more about White Bear Lake Mathnasium

With kids (and parents) eager for school to start again, this year marks the beginning of the free all-day kindergarten program at the eight White Bear Lake area elementary schools. For nearly a decade, the district has considered all-day kindergarten as a way to help students thrive in their education. “There has been a significant amount of planning that has gone into putting this initiative together,” says school board member Cathy Storey. Read more about White Bear Lake Area Schools Introduce Free All-day Kindergarten

Next month, not only will Wildwood Elementary students be starting a new school year, but they will be stepping into a brand-new building. The previous building, built in 1951, was outdated and becoming too small for its 585 students.

“The new building is not so that we can add more kids; it’s so we can do more of the type of hands-on teaching we are doing now,” principal Mark Hamre says. “The school staff had a big part in the building design, and we matched it to what we feel is important in education.” Read more about Wildwood Elementary’s New School